


Dad, what's a . ?

by heffermonkey



Series: 3 Men and A Little Lady [4]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Community: 1_million_words, Daughters, M/M, awkward conversation, fathers, parenting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-30
Updated: 2013-12-30
Packaged: 2018-01-06 18:42:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1110243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heffermonkey/pseuds/heffermonkey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Home alone, Steve is faced with having an awkward conversation with Grace.   Somehow he gets through it, if a little traumatised throughout.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dad, what's a . ?

**Author's Note:**

> Kids hit puberty and I can't imagine it's the easiest conversation a father can have with a daughter. But when there isn't a mom in the picture, what can one do but try.

"Babbo?" Grace asked as she sat at the kitchen table eating her tea. Steve was at the sink rinsing dishes.

"Yup?" Steve replied.

"What's a period?" Grace said simply. Steve closed his eyes and counted back from ten. They'd discussed the whole 'period, sex talk, differences between boys and girls' and how they would explain it all the Grace in the next few years. But he was completely unprepared for the question to come out of the blue from their ten and a half year old.

"Uh," he said, cursing Danny and Chin for both being out of the house at the same time.

"Is it something weird?" Grace continued innocently. "Because some of the girls were talking in recess about them and it sounded weird."

She paused and went quiet as she chewed on some pasta, before continuing. "They made fun because I didn't know what they were talking about. Should I?"

Steve slowly dried his hands and considered taking the easy way out, changing the subject until Danny or Chin came home or sending an SOS to Kono. She was her auntie, shouldn't she have some of the responsibility being the female figure in the little girls life. Steve caught a glimpse of his reflection in the window and chided himself. 

_'You're her dad, it's your responsibility, plus you're a Navy SEAL god dammit, man up you pussy.'_ Pep talk in his head over, he turned to her and pulled out a seat, noting she was half way through her food.

"Well, it's like this Grace," Steve began before pausing. How much information did one give a kid her age? "Uh-."

He looked at her again, her fork was poised half way to her mouth and she gazed at him with apt interest.

"You know, why don't you finish your food and then we'll talk," he said quickly.

 _Coward_ he told himself, distinctly spoken in Danny's voice. He could imagine Chin's judging stare. Still he needed a moment to gather his thoughts.

"It's important stuff and I want to make sure I tell you right," he said honestly. "Okay?"

"Okay," Grace agreed with a nod. She continued eating as Steve removed himself from the room and pulled out his phone, calling Kono, thinking to get her opinion on something.

He didn't appreciate the first two minutes of their conversation where Kono basically snorted and laughed down the phone at him. When she finally sobered up, she explained she had been about Grace's age when she'd found out which was a good thing as her period had started when she was eleven. Steve thought that part was information he didn't need and tried to erase the words from his brain.

"Just keep it basic," Kono told him. "You do know the basics don't you brah?"

He heard the snigger in her tone and sighed irritably. "Yes Kono, I have done _some_ homework on this, we all have, seeing as we all knew it would happen eventually."

"Yeah so tell her the basics, no need to go into details about sex and stuff. Just that it's normal for girls her age, that it's all part of growing up and that when it happens, she'll notice other changes in her body. I'll scout around on the net for some sites she can go on if you want, to help explain. I'll forward them to you."

"Okay great," Steve said in relief. "Thanks. I just needed a gauge of how detailed to get."

"It's cool brah," Kono assured him. "You sure you don't want me to come over?"

"No, I'm her dad. I need to do this. Plus if I do the period talk, I get out of the sex talk," Steve grinned. "Let Danny and Chin squirm over that one."

Kono laughed and they said goodbye. Steve found Grace had finished eating when he went back to her.

"How about we make some ice floats and talk on the lanai," Steve suggested.

Grace agreed wholeheartedly, clearing her dishes as Steve grabbed the ice-cream and soda. Soon they were settled on the lanai sipping on the drinks. 

"Okay, so, periods," Steve said, leaning over to her. "Well it's like this. You're ten and a half right? Ever heard of puberty?"

"Yeah," Grace nodded.

"Well, puberty is when kids your age start growing up. I mean look at you now, how much you've changed over the last ten years. You used to be this big, now your this big."

Steve moved his hands around and Grace grinned and nodded her head.

"So when you get to eleven and twelve, start hitting your teens, your body goes through a change, called puberty. It just means your body is turning from a kids into an adults and it takes a few years. You'll see changes in your body and it's different for girls and boys. With me so far?"

"Yup," Grace nodded, taking a sip from her ice-cream float.

"So these changes, they are different for girls and boys. I mean your body isn't the same as a boys right? You have different body parts which start to mature. And for girls, you start having what they call periods."

Steve paused again, not wanting to rush through the information too fast.

"A period is basically your body beginning to prepare for a baby. Course your too young to have a baby, but your body still preps for it. And because you won't be having a baby, your body flushes out the prep every month. That's your period. You know how babies are made and carried around in women's bodies?"

"In the mommy's womb," Grace nodded in agreement.

"Yeah well, you have a womb," Steve pointed out. "That's where your body does all the prep. Look here's the basics, I'm not going to go into all the details just yet because you don't need to know everything. But here goes - you have these tubes that lead to the womb. At one end of these tubes, you produce an egg. The egg travels along the tubes to the womb, where, if it were going to be a baby, it would stay and grow to be a baby. But if it isn't going to be a baby, it continues through your body and out of you, along with everything your body has collected to look after the egg. This happens about once a month and that is what you call your period. Just the stuff your body is expelling in preparation for the next cycle."

"Where does it come out of?" Grace asked with a frown.

"Uh," Steve said, caught off guard. "Your uh-."

He motioned to her lower half and she got the clue, making a face and laughing.

"Oh, gotcha," She said with a giggle. "So wait, how will I know? Is the egg big, like a chickens or something?"

Steve tried not to laugh and shook his head. "Uh no, it's not that kind of egg, actually you won't even know the egg has passed through you. It's miniscule. Your period though, well, that's blood basically. Don't worry, it isn't much, it's just your womb is lined with it to look after the egg if it becomes a baby. But it can't stay there so it comes out of you, so you don't get sick. It's a healthy thing Grace, totally natural. There's stuff you can get to line your underwear, next time at the store I'll get you some and show you how it works so you know what to do when it happens."

"And this happens all the time?" Grace said in wonder.

"Well eventually once a month," Steve replied. "Might not be like that at first. With your body changing, it takes time for it to become regular but eventually it'll be like clockwork kind of. And you'll learn more as you get older, but you don't need to know everything yet. Kono is going to send us some websites to look at to help you understand more."

"So this is going to happen soon?" Grace asked. "Like if the girls at school are talking, does it happen when I'm eleven or something?"

"No, not necessarily," Steve explained. "Could be a few more years, all depends on how fast your body develops. Some girls it starts early, others later."

"So how will I know," Grace said with a frown.

"You'll know," Steve assured her. "Least this way you'll be prepared."

"So what do boys get if they don't have periods?" Grace asked, curious about her counterparts.

"Uh," Steve pasued again. She kept throwing out curve balls and he wasn't sure he wanted to go into wet dreams and soggy sheets. "Nothing really, not compared to girls. Nothing you need to know yet any way."

"Will it hurt?" Grace asked after a moments thought. "I mean if I'm gonna bleed, it's gonna hurt right?"

"No," Steve said before halting. That was a lie, he'd known plenty of women who suffered through their monthly cycle. "Well, the bleeding itself doesn't hurt. But there's something called cramps, like a pain in your tummy that might happen. You might feel a little sick or feel down, but it won't last long. If you get pains tell us and we'll see what we can do about it."

"Okay," Grace said, looking apprehensive. "Um, so it happens just once a month? For like a day?"

"Usually a couple of days," Steve nodded. "No longer than a week."

"A week!" Grace exclaimed. "I bleed for a week!"

"Yeah but it's a gradual process," Steve hurriedly told her. "It'll get lighter and lighter. And like I said, at first it could be only one or two days and a few months in between. Your body is young and as puberty develops, it takes time to get into a proper cycle."

"And how long do I get them for?" Grace said, sipping at her drink as the ice cream melted. "Until I have babies."

"Uh, depends, every woman is different but usually until your forties," Steve said, realising sombrely that some day she'd reach that age and he'd be an old man. Probably even a grandfather.

"Huh," Grace said with raised brows before she sat back. She gave a shake of her head and looked at him seriously. "You know I don't think the girls at school really understand what a period is."

"Probably not," Steve agreed. "I'm glad you asked one of us Grace, so you know the truth and not something the kids make up at school. You will learn about it eventually at school, but I'm glad one of us got to tell you first."

"Thanks babbo," Grace grinned.

When Chin and Danny returned home, Steve grinned at them smugly from the couch. Grace was in her room playing.

"What's with the face?" Chin asked with a frown.

"Yeah, you look like the cat that got the cream," Danny said.

They looked at him with accusing stares.

"Grace asked me about periods today," Steve informed them.

Danny and Chin stared at him blankly for a long moment.

"She asked you?" Danny started before stopping. "But, but - she's ten!"

"Closer to eleven," Steve pointed out. "And the girls at school were talking in recess. I know we'd prefer she had the correct facts. We gotta face it, she's nearing the age this is all going to start."

"Well is she okay about it?" Danny said, sitting down on the couch.

"Seems like," Steve nodded, smiling teasingly. "More than you."

"Just a little side swiped here," Danny said, rubbing a hand over his face.

"How'd you think I felt when she popped the question?" Steve pointed out with a laugh.

Chin sympathised with Danny and sat on the arm of the couch, putting an arm around his shoulder. "It's okay ipo, just breathe."

Steve snorted as Chin gave him a conspiring smile.

"It's okay Danny, course she got a little freaked when I explained about sex," Steve said with a serious face.

"Oh you didn't," Danny said giving him a glare.

"She asked," Steve shrugged. "I couldn't lie. And I explained about boys too, you know, wet dreams, morning wood that sort of thing."

Danny buried his head into his hands and Steve slid along the sofa to him as he groaned. Chin poked Steve in the arm with a warning glare and Steve hugged Danny to him.

"I'm only joking D," Steve assured him. "I explained in the most basic terms about periods and that is it. And she was okay, had some questions but I think I did all right. Kono found some good websites that we took a look at as well, sort of to show her to inside workings but in simple detail."

"God, if it's periods today it will be the sex question tomorrow," Danny sighed, sitting up. "I don't think I'm ready for that."

"She's got a few years," Chin said with a small laugh, before sobering up himself in a sudden flash of concern. "Hopefully."

~ fin ~


End file.
